Gianluca Polgar

(except few basic infos, this webpage contains records of the last 3 years - click here for older records)

• Professional qualifications

• Other qualifications

• Professional assignments, grants, scholarships

• Address

• Present affiliation

• Research interests

• Membership of professional bodies

• Research activity, collaborations and field surveys

• Peer review publications

• Invited book chapters

• Books and monographies

• Published photos

• Popularization of science

• Interviews and media coverage

• Contributed workshops, symposia, seminars, lectures

• University teaching

• Supervised students, theses

Academic qualifications:

• 2009
  Ph.D. in Ecological Sciences, Univ. of Rome "La Sapienza".
  Thesis title: "Mudskippers (Gobiidae: Oxudercinae): ecology and evolution along the water's edge, and possible use as a biomonitor of tropical intertidal areas"; supervisor: Prof. G. Ardizzone, Dep. of Human and Animal Biology, Inst. of Zoology).
  
  

• 2004
  Laurea degree in Natural Sciences, Univ. of Rome "La Sapienza".
  Thesis title (ecology): "Adaptations to the intertidal environment of some Malaysian species of genera Periophthalmus, Periophthalmodon and Boleophthalmus (Pisces, Gobiidae, Oxudercinae, Periophthalmini): ecological researches and design of a rearing device for observation under semi-natural conditions" (summa cum laude; supervisor: Prof. L. Bullini, Dep. of Genetics and Molecular Biology "Charles Darwin").
  Second thesis (attuopaleontology): "Taxonomic analysis and facies of the foraminifers' associations of the western Peninsular Malaysia" (supervisor: Prof. J. Pignatti, Dep. of Earth Sciences)




• 1988
  Certificate of Proficiency in English, Univ. of Cambridge
  
  

Other qualifications:

• 2008-2010
  Introductory courses in the Japanese language (Nyumon I-III), at the Japanese Institute of Culture in Rome, Italy.
  
  

• 2008 (25th February)
  PADI Open Water Diver certification, Diver No. 0803A26105; Instr. No. OWSI-30314.

Professional assignments, grants, scholarships (click here for older records):

• Apr 2014 - ongoing
  Lecturer. Environmental and Life Sciences Programme, Faculty of Science, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Gadong, Brunei

  
  

• Jan 2015 - Jan 2016
  Universiti Brunei Darussalam URG 'startup' grant (UBD/PNC2/2/RG/1(315): BND 10,000) Bioacoustics and soundscape ecology of the coastal wetlands of Brunei, P.I.

  
  

• Feb 2013 - Mar 2014
  Universiti Brunei Darussalam S&T Grant (UBD/GSR/S&T/16, research fellowship: BND 40,000) The Brunei Bay and estuarine system. P.I.: Prof. D. J. Marshall (Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam). Postdoc Research Fellow: Dr. G. Polgar

  
  

Address:

Dr. Gianluca Polgar
Via G. Andreoli, 2
00195 Rome (RM), Italy
HP: 3488851198
E-mail: gianluca.polgar[at]mudskipper.it (replace [at] with @ before writing - antispam trick)

Present affiliation :

Gianluca Polgar Ph.D.
Lecturer
Department of Biology
Faculty of Science, University of Brunei Darussalam
Jalan Tungku Link, BE 1410
Gadong, Brunei Darussalam
institutional webpage: http://www.ubd.edu.bn/staff/academic/gianluca-polgar/

Research interests:

Evolutionary ecology of tropical intertidal ecosystems (tidal mud flats and mangrove ecosystems); eco-evolutionary water-to-land transitions in animals; morphological and molecular systematics of gobiids (Teleostei: Perciformes: Gobiidae); conservation and management of natural resources in tropical wetlands; popularization of science

Membership of professional bodies:

ASIH - American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists (2007-2008); BES - British Ecological Society (2005-ongoing); BNS - Brunei Nature Society (2013-ongoing); IGS - The International Goby Society (2006-ongoing); IOES - Institute of Ocean and Earth Sciences (2010-ongoing); ISEB - Italian Society of Evolutionary Biologists (2005-ongoing); IUCN - International Union for Conservation of Nature (Mangrove Specialist Group) (2013-ongoing); SFI - Société Française d'Ichtyologie (2008-2009)

Research activity and field surveys (click here for older records):

• 2014 (May - ongoing)
  Ethology of Periophthalmus species from Brunei. In collaboration with Dr. S. Malavasi (University of Ca' Foscari, Venice, Italy) and Prof. U. Grafe, Universiti Brunei Darussalam

  
  

• 2014-2015
  Ghostcrabs (Ocypode, Ocypodidae) as bioindicators of anthropogenic impact in sand beaches of Brunei. In collaboration with Ms. Siti Zahrani Bte Hj Md Salleh (Rimba II model school, Gadong, Brunei); Prof. D. Lane and Prof. F. Slik, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Brunei

  
  

• 2013-2014
  Thermal physiology of tropical gastropods and other macrobenthic animals. In collaboration with Prof. D.J. Marshall (Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Brunei)

  
  

• 2013-2014
  Mini-expeditions 2013-2014 in the Brunei Bay. Brief surveys and checklists of gobies and gastropods. In collaboration with Prof. D.J. Marshall (Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Brunei) and Dr. Tan Siong Kiat (Raffles Museum for Biodiversity Research, Singapore)

  
  

Recent peer reviewed publications (click here for older records):

• Polgar G., Ghanbarifardi M., Milli S., Agorreta A., Aliabadian M., Esmaeili H.R., and Khang T.F. (2017) - Ecomorphological adaptation in three mudskippers (Teleostei: Gobioidei: Gobiidae) from the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman - Hydrobiologia, Springer Nature SharedIt version; DOI: 10.1007/s10750-017-3120-8

  
  

• Polgar G., Zaccara S., Babbucci M., Fonzi F., Antognazza C.M., Ishak N., Sulaiman Z., and Crosa G. (2017) - Habitat segregation and cryptic adaptation of species of Periophthalmus (Gobioidei: Gobiidae) - Journal of Fish Biology, DOI: 10.1111/jfb.13276 (early view)

  
  

• Polgar G. (2016) - First record and conservation value of Periophthalmus malaccensis Eggert from Borneo, with ecological notes on other mudskippers (Teleostei: Gobiidae) in Brunei - Scientia Bruneiana, 15: 48-57 (paper online)

  
  

• Jaafar Z., Polgar G., and Yuliadi Zamroni (2016) - Description of a new species of Periophthalmus (Teleostei: Gobiidae) from the Lesser Sunda Islands - Raffles Bulletin of Zoology, 64: 278-283 (paper online)

  
  

• Bian C., Hu Y., Ravi V., Kuznetsova I.S., Shen X., Mu X., Sun Y., You X., Li J., Li X., Qiu Y., Tay B.-H., Thevasagayam N.M., Aleksey S. Komissarov, Vladimir Trifonov, Marsel Kabilov, Tupikin A., Luo J., Liu Y., Song H., Liu C., Wang X., Gu D., Yang Y., Li W., Polgar G., Fan G., Zeng P., Zhang H., Xiong Z., Tang Z., Peng C., Ruan Z., Yu H., Chen J., Fan M., Huang Y., Wang M., Zhao X., Hu G., Yang H., Wang J., Wang J., Xu X, Song L., Xun G., Xu P., Xu J., O’Brien S.J., Orbán L., Venkatesh B. & Shi Q. (2016) - The Asian arowana (Scleropages formosus) genome provides new insights into the evolution of an early lineage of teleosts - Scientific Reports, 6, Article number: 24501 (paper online)

  
  

• Nishi E., Idris I., Glasby C.J., and Polgar G. (2015) - Sabellaria jeramae, a new species (Annelida: Polychaeta: Sabellariidae) from the shallow waters of Malaysia, with a note on the ecological traits of reefs - Zootaxa, 4052(4): 555-568 (paper online)

  
  

• Polgar G., Nishi E., Idris I. and Glasby C.J. (2015) - Tropical polychaete community and reef dynamics: insights from a Malayan Sabellaria (Annelida: Sabellariidae) reef - The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology, 63: 401-417 (paper online) - OPEN ACCESS

  
  

• You X., Bian C., Zan Q., Xu X., Liu X., Chen J., Wang J., Qiu Y., Li W., Zhang X., Sun Y., Chen S., Hong W., Li Y., Cheng S., Fan G., Shi C., Liang J., Tang Y.T., Yang C., Ruan Z., Bai J., Peng C., Mu Q., Lu J., Fan M., Yang S., Huang Z., Jiang X., Fang X., Zhang G., Zhang Y., Polgar G., Yu H., Li J., Liu Z., Zhang G., Ravi V., Coon S.L., Wang J., Yang H., Venkatesh B., Wang J., Shi Q. (2014) - Mudskipper genomes provide insights into the terrestrial adaptation of amphibious fishes - Nature Communications, 5, Article number: 5594. doi: 10.1038/ncomms6594 - OPEN ACCESS

  
  

• Polgar G., Khang T.F., Chua T., Marshall D.J. (2014) - Gross mismatch between thermal tolerances and environmental temperatures in a tropical freshwater snail: Climate warming and evolutionary implications - Journal of Thermal Biology, 47: 99-108. doi: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2014.11.009

  
  

• Procheş Ş., Polgar G., Marshall D.J. (2014) - K-Pg events facilitated lineage transitions between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems - Biology Letters, 10(6). doi: 10.1098/rsbl.2014.0010

  
  

• Ghanbarifardi M., Aliabadian M., Esmaeili H.R., Polgar G. (2014) - Morphological divergence in the Walton’s mudskipper, Periophthalmus waltoni Koumans, 1941, from the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman (Gobioidei: Gobiidae) - Zoology in the Middle East, 60(2): 133-143. doi: 10.1080/09397140.2014.914717

  
  

• Polgar G., Zane L., Babbucci M., Barbisan F., Patarnello T., Rüber L., and Papetti C. (2014) - Phylogeography and demographic history of two widespread Indo-Pacific mudskippers (Gobiidae: Periophthalmus) - Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 73: 161-176. doi: 10.1016/j.ympev.2014.01.014

  
  

• Chen H., Polgar G., Yin W. and Fu C.-Z. (2014) - Cryptic species and evolutionary history of Boleophthalmus pectinirostris complex along the northwestern Pacific coast - Acta Hydrobiologica Sinica, 38(1): 75-86 [in Chinese with English summary] - ( http://ssswxb.ihb.ac.cn/EN/10.7541/2014.10 or http://ssswxb.ihb.ac.cn/EN/Y2014/V38/I1/75 ) OPEN ACCESS
  English translation:

  
  

Please contact me for further information on publications: gianluca.polgar[at]mudskipper.it (replace [at] with @ before writing - antispam trick)

Invited book chapters (click here for older records):

• Polgar G. (2017) Emergent patterns in spatiotemporal ecology. In: Jaafar Z., Murdy E.O. (eds) Fishes out of water: biology and ecology of mudskippers. CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group, 390 p., ISBN 9781498717878: Chapter 12, pp. 301-326.

  
  

• Kuciel M., Z˙uwała K., Lauriano E.R., Polgar G., Malavasi S., and Zaccone G. (2017) Structure and functions of sensory organs. In: Jaafar Z., Murdy E.O. (eds) Fishes out of water: biology and ecology of mudskippers. CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group, 390 p., ISBN 9781498717878: Chapter 6, pp. 123-151.

  
  

• Polgar G. and Ribero L. (2013) Rivers. In: Howarth R.W., Mohan J. (eds) Biomes & Ecosystems An Encyclopedia (Inland Aquatic Biomes). Salem Press, Ipswich, 4 Vols, 1440 p.: Vol. 1, pp. 76-81.

  
  

• Polgar G. (2013) Andaman Sea. In: Howarth R.W., Mohan J. (eds) Biomes & Ecosystems. An Encyclopedia (Articles: A). Salem Press, Ipswich, 4 Vols, 1440 p.: Vol. 2, pp. 251-253.

  
  

• Ribero L. and Polgar G. (2013) Mekong Delta. In: Howarth R.W., Mohan J. (eds) Biomes & Ecosystems An Encyclopedia (Articles: M). Salem Press, Ipswich, 4 Vols, 1440: p. Vol. 3, pp. 817-820.

  
  

Books and monographies

• Polgar G. and Jaafar Z. (2017) Endangered Forested Wetlands of Sundaland - Ecology, Connectivity, Conservation. Springer, p. 152. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-52417-7

  
  

Published photos (click here for older records):

• Two photos of oxudercine gobies (P. darwini, O. wirzi) for the Photographic Index of Australian Fishes (PIAF), and the Atlas of Living Australia (ALA)

  
  

• Thirteen photos of oxudercine gobies (Boleophthalmus boddarti, Oxuderces dentatus, Periophthalmus kalolo, P. waltoni, Scartelaos histophorus, S. tenuis) in the new edition of "Smith's sea fishes" (in press), by the SAIAB (South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity)

  
  

Popularization of science (click here for older records):

• Polgar G. (2012) The mudskippers of the Kuala Selangor Nature Park. An illustrated manual on the 11 species of mudskippers found in the KSNP, for the preparation of educational materials in the park

  
  

• Polgar G., Ribero L., Palazzotto M. (2012) Faune anfibie di mangrovieti e piane fangose malesi: un percorso evolutivo dal mare verso terra [Amphibious faunas of Malayan mangrove and mudflat ecosystems: An evolutionary path from sea to land - with English subtitles], a short documentary on the mangroves of Kuala Selangor, Malaysia, presented at the Italian Gekko Meeting 2012, Novellara (RE), Italy, 20 May 2012

  
  

• Apr 2012: consultancy for an illustration of Periophthalmus chrysospilos by Haude Levesque in: Dawn Cusick, ed. (in press) Fish tricks, a book for 7-10 years old kids

  
  

• Mar 2012: contribution with 5 photos of oxudercine gobies (B. boddarti, B. pectinirostris, Periophthalmus chrysospilos) to an exhibition on mangrove systems in the museum Natureum Niederelbe (Balje, Germany; Dr. Petra Nikolay)

  
  

Interviews and media coverage (click here for older records):

• 19 Dic 2013: interview "Mudskipper Madness, episode 45", on on Aquariumania, by Dr. Roy Yanong, Univ. of Florida

  
  

Contributed workshops, symposia, invited seminars and lectures (click here for older records):

• 2017 (12-16 Jul)
  Polgar G., Rupp H.-G., Mai V. H., Ishimatsu A. Observations on the reproductive cycle of the mudskipper, Periophthalmus variabilis (Teleostei, Gobioidei) in seminatural conditions. Joint Meeting of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, Austin Texas, USA.

  
  

• 2016 (17-22 Apr)
  Briguglio A., Goeting S., Kusli R., Roslim A., Polgar G., Kocsis L. Modern Foraminifera from a depth transect offshore Brunei Darussalam: diversity, sedimentation rate and preservation pathways. European Geoscience Union (EGU) General Assembly, Vienna. Geophysical Research Abstracts, 18; EGU2016-5536.

  
  

• 2015 (15-16 Nov)
  Polgar G. workshop of the IUCN Mangrove Specialist Group (MSG). Zoological Society of London, London.

  
  

• 2015 (12-13 Nov)
  Polgar G., Ghanbarifardi M., Aliabadian, Esmaeili H.R., Agorreta A., Milli S. Habitat differentiation in SE Asian mudskippers (Teleostei: Gobiidae, 'Periophthalmus lineage'), with a comparative case study of three species from the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. Effects of geomorphological setting and anthropogenic impact, on sediment composition and mudskipper habitat distribution. Invited speaker. Turning the Tide on Mangrove Loss. A focus on the state of mangroves in Asia. Symposium organised by the Xiamen University and the IUCN Mangrove Specialist Group. Xiamen, Fujian, China.

  
  

• 2014 (8-9 Nov)
  Polgar G. workshop of the IUCN Mangrove Specialist Group (MSG). Zoological Society of London, London.

  
  

• 2014 (6-7 Nov)
  Polgar G. IWP mangrove forests and watershed management: restoring and maintaining ecological connections - the Brunei's opportunity. Poster session. Turning the tide on mangrove loss - the status of mangroves and their associated fauna. Symposium of the Zoological Society of London, London.

  
  

• 2014 (26 Mar)
  Polgar G. Behavioural ecology and physiological ecology of mudskippers: Life at the water’s edge. Invited speaker, IBER (Institute for Biodiversity and Environmental Research) seminars, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Brunei

  
  

University undergraduate teaching:

• 2014-2016, 2nd year course, Biology Major (BSc): "Animal form and function" (vertebrates) - (SB2203, 1st semester) at the Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Environmental and Life Sciences Programme, Faculty of Science, Brunei

  
  

• 2014-2016, 4th year course, Biology Major (BSc): "Conservation and management of the living resources" (conservation biology, ecosystem management, watershed management, ecotourism) - (SB4301, 1st semester) at the Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Environmental and Life Sciences Programme, Faculty of Science, Brunei

  
  

• 2014-2016, 1st year course, Biology Major (BSc): "Diversity of life" (vertebrate phylogeny, human evolution) - (SB1201, 1st semester) at the Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Environmental and Life Sciences Programme, Faculty of Science, Brunei

  
  

• 2013-2016, 1st year course, Biology Major (BSc): "Organisms and environments" (community ecology) -(SB1202, 2nd semester) at the Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Environmental and Life Sciences Programme, Faculty of Science, Brunei

  
  

• 2015, 4th year course, Biology Major (BSc): "Animal Behaviour" (SB4311, 2nd semester) at the Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Environmental and Life Sciences Programme, Faculty of Science, Brunei

  
  

• 2014 (7th Apr) AKECOP-ACB Joint Training Course: "Tropical ecosystem resilience and services" - talk on mangrove ecosystem management and conservation. Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Environmental and Life Sciences Programme, Faculty of Science, Gadong, Brunei

  
  

Supervised students, theses (click here for older records):

• 2015-2016 (B.Sc.)
  Ms. Siti Nurul Aqilah Shyaqifah bte Haji Brahim: 'Ecological researches on ghostcrabs (Ocypodidae, Ocypode species)'. Supervisor: Dr. G. Polgar, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Brunei

  
  

• 2015-2016 (B.Sc.)
  Mr. Abdul Salam Wafi Hj Md Diah: 'The mud crabs (Scylla species) of the Brunei Bay: a preliminary study'. Supervisor: Dr. G. Polgar, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Brunei

  
  

• 2015-2016 (B.Sc.)
  Mr. Awangku Muhammad Noor Hatadi Pengiran Ahmad: 'An operational unit for scientific data collection on rescued animals, road-kills and other dead vertebrates in Brunei Darussalam'. Supervisor: Dr. G. Polgar, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Brunei

  
  

• 2015-2016 (B.Sc.)
  Ms. Kithma de Silva: 'Molecular analyses of four species of mud crabs of the genus Scylla using nuclear and mitochondrial molecular markers'. Supervisors: Dr. Hussein Taha, Dr. G. Polgar, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Brunei

  
  

• 2014-2015 (B.Sc.)
  Mr. Andy Yong: 'Studies on populations and grazing effects of sea cucumbers associated with Brunei reefs, with particular reference to commercial species'. Supervisors: Dr. David Lane, Dr. G. Polgar, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Brunei

  
  

• 2014-2015 (B.Sc.)
  Ms. Nur Amal Qurratu'aini Bte Pg Metussin: 'Scylla species in the Brunei Bay'. Supervisor: Dr. G. Polgar, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Brunei

  
  

• 2014-2015 (B.Sc.)
  Ms. Norizzatul Hj Amli: 'Ethogram of a mudskipper species'. Supervisor: Dr. G. Polgar, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Brunei

  
  

• 2012 - ongoing (Ph.D.)
  M.Sc. Laura Ribero: 'Ecological aspects and ontogenetic patterns of Malayan sesarmid crabs (Brachyura: Grapsoidea: Sesarmidae)'. Supervisors: Dr. P.-E. Lim, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; G. Polgar, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Brunei; Shing Yp (Joe) Lee, Griffith University, Australia

  
  

• 2011-2015 (Ph.D.)
  Dr. Mehdi Ghanfaribardi: 'Molecular and geometric morphometric studies of mudskippers (Periophthalmus waltoni and Scartelaos tenuis) from the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman'. Supervisors: Dr. Mansour Aliabadian, Dr. Esmaeili H. Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran; G. Polgar, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Brunei